The fallout from Celtic’s emphatic 3-0 victory over Rangers continues, with Ally McCoist offering some candid reflections on both teams’ performances.
The result at Celtic Park not only solidified Brendan Rodgers’ dominance over the Ibrox side but also marked his sixth consecutive game without defeat against Rangers. For many Celtic supporters, this latest win might have felt like the most straightforward of the lot.
Graeme Souness, the former Rangers manager, had earlier downplayed the significance of the defeat, suggesting there isn’t a substantial gap between the two Glasgow giants.
However, McCoist, who knows both clubs intimately, takes a starkly different view. His analysis sharply contrasts with Souness’s and paints a more sobering picture of where Rangers currently stand.
Speaking on talkSPORT, McCoist didn’t hold back in his assessment of the match.
“That was so disappointing, I mean I was devastated. Celtic didn’t even look like they got out of second gear, mate, you know, and we’re just lacking leadership,” he said.
His comments reflect a broader frustration among Rangers fans, who saw their team thoroughly outclassed by their city rivals.
One of the more intriguing admissions from McCoist came when he revisited Rangers’ title win during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Do you know what somebody said to me? And I kind of brushed it off at the time, but the more I think about that particular season [COVID title], which was a fantastic achievement, I just wonder if the fact that there were no people at the games actually really did help Rangers more than I thought,” he mused.
McCoist’s reflection on the lack of fans during that season suggests he now believes it may have benefited Rangers more than initially considered.
“I thought to myself it wouldn’t have made that much of a difference. However, I look at some of the players nowadays, and I think they’re affected by handling the pressure. I think that particular season playing behind closed doors actually suited them.”
This admission points to a deeper issue within the current Rangers squad—one that goes beyond just tactics or form.
McCoist’s belief that Celtic barely needed to shift out of second gear to secure such a commanding win underscores the chasm between the two teams. It’s a gap that, for now, appears to be widening.
Kris Boyd, another former Rangers man, was equally blunt in his post-match analysis, branding the defeat as “embarrassing” for the Ibrox club. With Celtic already five points clear of Rangers after just four games, the outlook for the season appears bleak for the blue half of Glasgow.
Boyd’s harsh critique reflects the mounting concern that this campaign could become a long and arduous one for Rangers if significant improvements aren’t made quickly.
In the end, McCoist’s and Boyd’s comments lay bare a reality that many Rangers fans might find hard to swallow: Celtic are currently operating on a different level, and unless something changes dramatically, the season could slip away from them before it has truly begun.